Osa N.

My Portfolio Reflection

1. How would you describe your writing at the beginning of the year and how would you describe it now?

In the beginning of the year, I would describe my writing as incompetent. Now I would describe my writing as much more improved and much better.

2. What do you consider your writing strengths? Explain.

I am good at creative writing, like poems,stories, and other types.

3. What writing skills do you need and/or want to continue to develop next year? Explain.

I want to continue developing analytical skills, and reading comprehension. My reading skills are not the best and it affects my ability to critically analyze literature which is why I need to work on it.

4. What piece of writing from this year best captures your growth as a writer and thinker? Explain why.

I think the Hero's Journey Essay best captures my writing and thinking growth because it shows how much I have improved. If I compared it to something I wrote a long time ago, there is a major difference.

5. What piece of writing from this year are you most proud of? Explain why.

I am most proud of The Giver Essay because to me it is one of the best Essays I have ever written.

To become a hero, there are sacrifices to make and challenges to overcome, which allows their inner strength to shine. The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is about becoming a hero. It is about overcoming your fears and finding who you are inside. This book is a monomyth because the novel follows the structure of a Hero’s Journey.

Ponyboy experiences the separation from the unknown when Johnny kills Bob. After Johnny kills Bob, he tells Ponyboy what happened and he thinks, “The panic was rising in me as I listened to Johnny’s quiet voice go on and on. ‘Johnny!’ I nearly screamed. ‘What are we gonna do?’ [...] ‘I’m scared, Johnny’” (57). In the Hero’s Journey, The Separation from the Known is when the hero experiences discomfort and is removed from his comfortable life. In The Outsiders, Johnny Killing Bob causes a lot of discomfort for Ponyboy. The incident forces them to have to run away and cause Ponyboy to live in guilt and fear. Although Johnny did what he did as an act of self defense, there are still consequences for his actions. When they run away, Ponyboy’s feelings escalate. He is guilty, nervous, and scared of getting caught and of the consequences he will have. This quote is an example of The Separation from the Unknown because it shows how Johnny and Ponyboy have to run away from their comfortable life and hide in the unknown. It shows how Ponyboy is scared of the forward movements.

This novel is a monomyth because Ponyboy experiences the Hero’s Journey. Ponynoy goes through a difficult journey that makes him find his inner gift and strength, and find the hero in himself. It is possible that Ponyboy’s story is the same as another young boy’s story in a similar environment. There are main themes in the book that relate to lives in the real world. For example, themes of friendship, family, loss of a loved one, and finding who you are inside, are all themes in the novel that are part of life in the real world.

The world in The Giver by Lois Lowry is a dystopia because even though it does not have danger, it also does not have individuality.In this community, they have gotten rid of individuality. Throughout the town, All the speakers seemed to develop, saying things like “ATTENTION. THIS IS A REMINDER TO FEMALES UNDER NINE THAT HAIR RIBBONS ARE TO BE NEATLY TIED AT ALL TIMES” (22). This quote means that the girls under nine cannot make their own decisions about what style they want their hair to be. They can not be individual and choose for themselves. They cannot decide if they want to have bows or not. They have to have it. This is part of what makes this world a dystopia. If people can not make their own decisions then they are dependent on other people and cannot grow up and be independent. While Lily, Jonas’s younger sister, was asking for her stuffed animal before bed, her mother said ‘Lily, you are very close to being an Eight, and when you are an Eight, your comfort object will be taken away” (19). This shows that 8 year olds have to have their stuffed animals taken away. They cannot decide if they want to keep it or not. It is just recycled and given to the younger children. This is also part of why this community is a dystopia. If people cannot make their own decisions then the people will not grow up to be independent and individual and they cannot progress. In conclusion, individuality and diversity is what makes a community what it is. When people wear the same clothes or have the same name, it takes out the individuality and people cannot be independent and choose for themselves. This community does not have individuality, therefore it is a dystopia.